Interceptor transformer



July 9, 1957 J. R. WIEGAND INTERCEPTOR TRANSFORMER Filed Aug. 16, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INTERCEP'IOB- TRBN sPORMF-R ELECTRIC MECHAN To oPER DOOR or I'm? 6 MECHANISM JNVENTOR.

JOHN R. WlEGAND July 9, 1957 J. R. WIEGAND 2,793,937

INTERCEPTOR TRANSFORMER Filed Au 16, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN R- "WIEQAND United States INTERCEPTOR TRANSFORNEER John R. Wiegand, North Valiey Stream, N. Y.

Application August 16, 1954, erial No. 449,833

6 Claims. (Cl. 317-123) The present invention relates to interceptor transformers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved interceptor transformer which can perform the work of an electronic amplifier or of a highly sensitive magnetic amplifier.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an interceptor transformer having a core so wound as to make it highly sensitive to a magnetic field as far as ten to fifteen feet away from the transformer.

A further object of the invention is to provide an interceptor transformer that is able to operate a relay when acted upon by a magnetic field as far as ten to fifteen feet away from the transformer, whereby such transformer is particularly adapted for use in connection with mechanism including a relay for operating mechanism responsible for opening a garage door under the control of an operator located within a car.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an interceptor transformer which is magnetically balanced and which has one or more condensers which tune the secondary coil of such transformer to a harmonic frequency. With such an arrangement, a change in primary voltage may be utilized to bring the secondary into tune and thereby produce a large current in both coils, or a change in the primary voltage may be utilized to'cause an intially tuned secondary to be out of tune, thereby to sharply reduce the current in the secondary.

' A further object of the invention is to provide an intercepotr transformer which may be interconnected with a suitable electric circuit to feed a relay which in turn feeds a solenoid which opens the garage door, whereby to enable such transformer to operate continuously at an insignificant operating cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and'advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various noveil features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure,

Fig. 1 is a schematic view illustrating the manner in which the interceptor transformer according to the invention may be utilized in order to open or close a garage door;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the interceptor transformer according to the invention showing the primary and secondary coils and the windings thereon;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the primary and secondary windings of the structure shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the primary and secondary windings of the transformer with the windings shown in Fig 2 omitted therefrom for the purposes of clarity of presentation, and with only a single winding being shown Patented July 9, 1957 thereon in order to make it easier to follow the manner in which the windings are arranged with respect to the primary and secondary windings.

Fig. 7 shows a circuit diagram embodying the interceptor transformer used in connection with mechanism for opening a garage door.

Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral 10 in Fig. 1 identifies generally the interceptor transformer according to the invention. A plug 14 may be connected to a source of voltage, not shown, whereby to energize a mechanism 15 which is electrically operated and which is constructed and arranged in such a manner as to close or open the door 16, as the case may be, under the control of and at the will of the operator. It will be observed that while wires 11 and 13 conduct current from plug 14 to mechanism 15, the interceptor transformer is interposed between wire 11 and wire 12 whereby to control the energization of mechanism 15 under control of a relay 17. In other words, when interceptor transformer is acted upon by an electromagnetic field, as will become clear hereinafter, said transformer 10 will operate relay 17, which will in turn establish a connection between wires 11 and 12, thereby operating electric mechanism 15, which in turn operates the door 16.

The door 16 may act as a closure for an entrance way 18 such, for instance, as may be provided in a garage 20. A car generally indicated at 21 is shown located in position in front of the entrance way, and such car has provided interiorly thereof a coil 22 connected by means of wires 23 and 24 to a'battery 25. It will be understood that a suitable push button closing means 26 will be provided which can be controlled by the operator. If a suitable battery circuit closing button is provided and if such button is pushed by the operator, while such operator remains Within the car, it is possible, utilizing the present invention to produce a magnetic field in coil 22 of suificient strength to act upon the interceptor transformer sufficiently to cause relay 17 to become energized, even when the car is as much as ten to fifteen feet away from the interceptor transformer 10. In such cases, the coil 22 may have three or four turns of wire, approximately two feet in diameter, though this may, of course, be adjusted to any suitable or desired value, or position.

If desired, a condenser may be used in order to tune the secondary coil of the transformer to a harmonic frequency, with the transformer magnetically balanced. With such an arrangement, a difference or change in the primary voltage capacity and inductance of the transformer may be utilized to bring the secondary into tune whereby to produce a large current in the secondary coil. It will be evident that the voltage changes the inductance of interceptor transformer. At this point it may be well to refer to the disclosure contained in my prior specification, United States Patent #2,479,656, filed September 21, 1946, and to my co-pending application, Serial No.332,357, filed January 21, 1953, now Patent No. 2,740,096. The general principles regarding the behavior of my interceptor transformers is fully set out in my prior specifications aforementioned, and I rely on all that part of the prior disclosures which may be applied to the present invention.

It will appear from the prior disclosures and from what has been said thus'far that the present interceptor transformer can perform the work of an electronic amplifier, or of a highly sensitive magnetic amplifier, in the sense that it can cause the operation of a device in response to a magnetic field located at distances away from the interceptor transformer of as much as ten to fifteen feet. The construction of the transformer is very simple, and the material used therein is likewise of low cost and the entire assembly is certainly much cheaper to construct and much more simple to operate and to maintain than any conventional electronic unit having the same general purpose and utilizing radio tubes or the like. If a diode is used to regenerate the secondary coil of the interceptor transformer, and if several condensers are used in the manner described with reference to my co-pending application, then the present device can be operated somewhat as shown in Fig. 1 at an extremely insignificant operating cost, continuously without any radio tubes whatever. Only a very small magnetic field is required in such circumstances, approximately one-fifth of earth magnetism. The latter is equivalent to a small current of the order of the currents found in a tuned aerial. In such circumstances, an amplification of at least one to one-thousandth may be expected, enough current being produced to operate a relay.

Referring to Fig. 2, identifies a secondary coil or winding having the appearance of a flat annulus and having energizing windings 32 and 33. Reference numeral 31 identifies another annular coil or winding, which is the primary coil or winding, and which is arranged within the secondary coil and with the plane thereof at right angles to the plane of the secondary. Wires 34 and 35 are provided for energizing the primary 31. The secondary 30 and the primary 31 can clearly be seen in Fig. 5, and each of these are wound with wire of copper and suitable for use in transformer applications. It will be observed from Figs. 2 through 4 inclusive that wire identified generally by the reference character is wound in a certain particular configuration in and about the primary and secondary coils of the transformer. The windings 40 are of magnetic wire and are built up in a manner to be described with reference to Fig. 6. In Fig. 6 there is shown a single length 41 of the wire 40. If we regard the point as the top of coil 30, and if we regard the face 51 of coil 30 to be front face, and 52 to be the rear face, while face 53 of coil 31 is the left face and 54 is the right face, then we can refer to one complete intertwining of wire 41 with coils 30 and 31 in the following manner.

Commencing at point A, we proceed in the direction of the arrow which is approximately one inch in front of face 51, the actual distance depending on how sensitive the transformer is \to be, and we proceed along the right side 54 of the primary, through the primary and out the left side 53 thereof over the face 52 of the secondary, over the face 55 of the secondary, over the face 51, and past the right side 54 of the primary out of the primary on the left side thereof and up to a point B located at a distance of about one inch from the rear face 52 of the secondary, back along the right face 54 of the primary, through the primary, out past the left face 53, past the front face 51 of the secondary, over the outer face 55 of the secondary, past the back face 52 of the secondary and back in through the primary past the right face thereof, and out past the left face and back to the point A. The foregoing procedure is repeated until a suflicient amount of wire 40 accumulates to substantially cover the primary about half full, whereupon the process is repeated at the bottom of the transformer. The points A and B may be located as much as two inches away from the front and back of the secondary which is a feature responsible for causing the transformer (to be sensitive to magnetism as much as ten to fifteen feet away. It will be understood, of course, that the ends of the magnetic wire 41 are to be interconnected.

The foregoing arrangement makes possible the sensitivity necessary for the purposes specified.

In the diagram shown in Fig. 7, a diode 60 is shown in series with the secondary coil 30 to regenerate the secondary coil. The secondary coil is also shown coupled with condensers 61, 62 and 63 and relay 17, and with a resistance 64 shown across condenser 63. The frequency resulting is fed from 110 volt A. C. 60 cycles in the primary 31. An adjustable rheostat 65 and a condenser 66 are shown in circuit with the primary coil 31.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed, and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An electrical control device comprising a primary winding in the form of an annulus, a secondary winding also in the form of an annulus, said secondary winding being disposed in a plane at right angles to the plane of the primary winding, said secondary winding being sufficiently larger than said primary winding and disposed therearound whereby the centers thereof are substantially at the same point, a winding of magnetic wire through and about the primary and secondary windings, said winding of magnetic wire being built up from individual lengths, said secondary having a front and back face, said primary having a left face and a right face, each said length of magnetic wire entering said left face of said primary, leaving said right face, going about said rear face of said secondary, around said front face and entering said right side of said primary, going through said primary out and beyond said left face of said primary to a point spaced between one and two inches from the rear face of said secondary, back to and through the right face of said primary, out past said left face of said primary past said front face of said secondary, past said rear face of said secondary, back past said right face of said primary, through said primary, and out said primary past said left face of said primary and back to a starting point located between one and two inches from the front face of said secondary.

2. A door operating mechanism comprising electric actuating mechanism to operate the door, a source of power, connections from said source of power to said electric mechanism, an electric control device disposed in said connections and adapted to complete an energizing path from said power source to said electric mechanism by way of 'said connections, said control device being disposed behind the door, electromagnetic field producing means remote from said control device and effective to emit radiation for operating said'control device, said control device comprising an electrical control device comprising a primary winding in the form of an annulus, a secondary winding also in the form of an annulus, said secondary winding being disposed in a plane at right angles to the plane of the primary winding, said secondary winding being sufficiently larger than said primary winding and disposed therearound whereby the centers thereof are substantially at the same point, a winding of magnetic wire through and about the primary and secondary windings, said winding of magnetic wire being built up from individual lengths, said secondary having a front and a back face, said primary having a left face and a right face, each said length of magnetic wire entering said left face of said primary, leaving said right face, going about said rear face of said secondary, around said front face and entering said right side of said primary,-going through said primary out and beyond said left face of said primary to a point spaced between one and two inches from the rear face of said secondary, back to and through the right face of said primary, out past said left face of said primary, past said front face of said secondary, past said rear face of said secondary, back past said right face of said primary, through said primary, and out said primary past said left face of said primary. and back to a starting point located between one and. two inches from the front face of said secondary.

3, In a signalling system for closing an entranceway, a closure for said entranceway, electric actuating mechanism for causing said closure to move into and out of closing relation with respect to said entranceway, a relay, a power source, connections connecting said relay in series with said power source and said electric mechanism, an electrical control device for operating said relay, said device being disposed behind said closure, electromagnetic field producing means comprising a coil in a position remote from said electrical control device and adapted to operate said device, said device comprising an electrical control device comprising an annular secondary winding having a front face, a rear face and an outer face, an annular primary winding comprising a left face and a right face and disposed Within said secondary winding and in a plane at right angles to the plane of said secondary winding, a length of wire of magnetic material, said length entering the opening of said primary past the left face thereof and leaving said primary past the right face thereof, said wire then passing said rear face, said outer face and said front face of said secondary winding and reentering the opening of the primary past said left face, said wire then leaving said primary past said right face and proceeding to a point spaced from said rear face, said wire then proceeding past said left face of said primary, through said opening of said primary, out of said opening of said primary, past said right face, past said front face, outer face and rear face of said secondary, past said left face and through said primary winding, out of said primary winding past said right face and to a point spaced from the front face of said secondary.

4. In a signalling system for closing an entranceway, a closure for said entranceway, electric actuating mechanism for causing said closure to move into and out of closing relation with respect to said entranceway, a relay, a power source, connections connecting said relay in series with said power source and said electric mechanism, an electrical control device for operating said relay, said device being disposed behind said closure, electromagnetic field producing means comprising a coil in a position remote from said electrical control device and adapted to operate said device, said device comprising an electrical control device comprising an annular secondary winding having a front face, a rear face and an outer face, an annular primary winding comprising a left face and a right face and disposed within said secondary winding and in a plane at right angles to the plane of said secondary winding, a length of wire of magnetic material, said length entering the opening of said primary past the left face thereof and leaving said primary past the right face thereof, said wire then passing said rear face, said outer face and said front face of said secondary winding and reentering the opening of the primary past said left face, said wire then leaving said primary past said right face and proceeding to a point spaced from said rear face, said wire then proceeding past said left face of said primary, through said opening of said primary, out of said opening of said primary past said right face, past said front face, outer face and rear face of said secondary, past said left face and through said primary winding, out of said primary winding past said right face and to a point spaced from the front face of said secondary and condenser means in circuit with said secondary of said transformer tuning said secondary to resonance.

5. In a signalling system for closing an entranceway, a closure for said entranceway, electric actuating mechanism for causing said closure to move into and out of closing relation with respect to said entranceway, a relay, a power source, connections connecting said relay in series with said power source and said electric mechanism, an electrical control device for operating said relay, said device being disposed behind said closure, electromagnetic field producing means comprising a coil in a position remote from said electrical control device and adapted to operate said device, said device comprising an electrical control device comprising an annular secondary winding having a front face, a rear face and an outer face, an annular primary Winding comprising a left face and a right face and disposed within said secondary winding and in a plane at right angles to the plane of said secondary winding, a length of wire of magnetic material, said length entering the opening of said primary past the left face thereof and leaving said primary past the right face thereof, said wire then passing said rear face, said outer face and said front face of said secondary winding and reentering the opening of the primary past said left face, said wire then leaving said primary past said right face and proceeding to a point spaced from said rear face, said Wire then proceeding past said left face of said primary, through said opening of said primary, out of said opening of said primary, past said right face, past said front face, outer face and rear face of said secondary, past said left face and through said primary winding, out of said primary winding past said right face and to a point spaced from the front face of said secondary, said entranceway being a garage doorway, said closure being a garage door, said field producing means being situated in a car remote from said door and having a battery, circuit means in said car connecting said field coil to the car battery, and a switch under control of the car driver adapted to close the circuit from said car battery to said field producing means.

6. An electrical control device comprising an annular primary coil with a central opening therethrough adapted to be energized from source of alternating current, a secondary coil positioned in the opening in said primary coil and having a central opening therethrough, the centers of said coils being positioned at substantially the same point, the magnetic axes of said coils being disposed at right angles to each other, the bodies of said coils being substantially square in cross-section forming outer, inner, front and rear faces, and a winding of magnetic wire extending through the central openings of said coils and intertwined around the faces thereof, said winding extending in loop formations beyond the front and rear faces of said secondary coil, the ends of said magnetic wires being connected to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

